Improvement in hot-water apparatus for warming buildings



4 E. L. MILLER;

'gSteam Heater;

No. 4.625.. Patented July 7 ,1846.

PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA L. MILLER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW' YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOT-WATER APPARATUS FOR WARMING B UILDINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4,625, dated July '7,1846.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EZRA L. MILLER, of the city of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and improvedmode of constructing and arranging a hot-water furnace for the purposeof warming buildings, and in connection with this have invented animprovement in the plan and mode of working a damper or dampers forcontrolling and regulating the heat.

The first of these, which I denominate a condensing-radiator, consistsin a new and improved arrangement, combination, and application of thedifferent parts and surfaces of a hot-water apparatus or furnace forwarming buildings, by which the circulation of the water in contact withthe radiating-surfaces is much accelerated and the air for taking offthe heat is in its circulation brought and kept more closely in contactwith the waterheated surfaces than by any former method.

My other improvement, which I denominate a hydro pneumatic regulator,consists in the particular application of the expansibility of water andair combined to produce motion in a damper or dampers for the purpose ofregulating the degree of combustion in a furnace; and I hereby declarethat the following is a full and exact description of the constructionand arrangement of these improvements, reference being had to theaccompanying engravings, making a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the whole apparatus; and Fig. 2, avertical section of the arrangemen ts for working the dampers, &c.

I construct the condensing-radiator D of copper, iron, or other suitablemetal, of a cylindrical or other convenient shape, and of such capacityas to contain a sufficient number of tubes of from one to two inchesdiameter to give the requisite heatingsurface. These tubes (see i 'i)are open to the atmosphere at both ends, and are set in the heads of thecondensing-radiator, as shown at L, in the manner of the tubes in theboiler of a locomotive steam-engine.

The condensingradiator is set within a furnace-chamber in the cellar orlower part of the building to be warmed, and communicates, by the pipesI and J, at or near the top and bottom, with a boiler A for heating thewater which circulates within the radiator D,

between and around the small tubes with which it is filled. The externalair for circulation is admitted at the lower ends of these small tubesunder the bottom of the radiating-cylinder or through the opening 70,and is heated for distribution in its passage through them, when it isconducted from the furnacechamber to the apartments to be warmed in theusual way of hot-air furnaces.

I construct the hydro-pneumatic regulator for working the dampers, asection of which is shown at E and F, Fig. 2, of copper or any suitablemetal, in the following manner: The vessel M, Fig. 1, is anexpansion-cistern connected with the condensing-radiator by thevapor-pipe G, the circular front ofwhich cistern (for convenience) formsone side of a cylinder or guide-tube E, which may be from four to sixinches in diameter and ten or fifteen inches long, and is open at itslower end upon the inside to the water in the expansioncistern half aninch or more.

cylinder F, of very light copper or other metal, open at bottom, butclosed at top, and from eight to twelve inches long, so fitted as toleave no more space than will allow it to work easily up and down like apiston. In the head of this float-tube I insert an air cook or stopper0, and at or near the center of the head I attach a wrist g, to whichthe connecting rod a is attached, which connects with and gives motionto the shaft d by the crank 12. The shaft 01 is supported by the brace eand the smoke-pipe O, in the latter of which, upon the shaft d, is thedamper h. At this end of the shaft cl another arm or crank 12 unites theconnectingrod f with the wrist of a crank on a register in or near theash-pit door of the boiler for the purpose of excluding or admitting airfrom or to the grate. The position of the'shaft cl and the length of theconnecting-rod a should be such as to allow the float-tube F to descendto the bottom of the cistern M.

The pipe K connects the expansion-cistern with the lowest part of thecondensing-radiator D or it may connect with the lower pipe I, andserves the double purpose of expansion and feed pipe. The bottom of theexpansioncistern M is placed a little below the top of the radiator D,so that when the radiator is filled with water it will contain a fewinches Within this cylinder I make a float tube or of water, andis-served by a ball-cock from a reservoir in any convenient situation.The float F may be adjusted to close the dampers at any desiredtemperature under the boiling-point by admitting more or less air by thecock 0 into the float F, any increase or decrease in the temperature ofthe water producing a corresponding expansion or contraction of both airand water, thereby causing a corresponding rise or fall in the fioat F,which communicates motion to the dampers by means of theconnecting-rods, &c., as above described, thus regulating the degree ofcombustion with great precision.

I do not claim as my invention the-simple use or application of acylindrical or other shaped vessel filled with tubes for the purpose ofradiating heat; but

What I do claim, and Wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. Thecombination of the condensing-radiator with the hydropneumatie regulatorand a boiler or boilers within a hot-air or furnace chamber, as hereinfully described and setforth, whether the condensing-radiator becylindrical or other shaped, if so constructed and combined as to besimilar in principle and effect.

2. The peculiar manner of applying, the expansibility of water and aircombined to the working of a damper or dampers for the regulation andcontrol of the combustion of the fuel in a furnace, in combination witha condensing-radiator, as herein fully described and set forth.

E. L. MILLER.

Witnesses:

B. H. STRATTON, OHS. WILLIAMS.

